Hey, Fatty! An Eagle Attack; BellaSpark; New Friends in Fort Collins; A Very Cool Town Center

Saturday was an awesome day! We started with what one guide called a mellow 18 mile bike ride around Lake Dillon, a large reservoir adjacent to Silverthorne and Dillon, Colorado. The reality turned out to be a 26 mile, mountain-studded bike ride on a slightly different course that was marked for the “Round the Summit” event being held the same time as our ride. Here is Suzanne pointing across the lake at the route, which followed the crest of the second line of hills in the far background.  See that really high one wayyyyyy over there?

It was very cool in that there were several hundred riders out with us, most on lightweight road bikes with skinny tires, while we were on our heavy mountain bikes with fat tires. Every now and then someone would comment on our fatties; in fact, there is a nearby brewery that makes Fat Tire Ale (that may be worth a visit!). The scenery was fabulous all morning (26 miles took us 2 ¾ hours with all the hills). Here is Suzanne after a very long climb ready to start our big 500 ft downhill, where we hit 35 mph on our bikes... 

We had stopped briefly at the top of one hill for a breather - literally; the air is pretty thin here as we are much closer to the sun...  ;-)   Then I was attacked by this huge eagle! He almost ripped my helmet off, but I survived with only minor cuts from his razor-sharp talons. 

Then we packed up and headed east. Here is Suzanne trying to get some work done while holding Rudy and Gretchen in her lap. 

The scenery was great, but going downhill in a 37,000 lbs. bus, like a semi, can be challenging. This sign and several others like it on the east slope of the Rockies give one pause. The speed limit on this downhill was 35 mph for us and trucks.

We arrived in Golden, where the “TV dress” that Suzanne had reserved was awaiting her. I have to admit, she looks terrific in her new dress. I’m looking forward to seeing her on Denver’s KUSA Channel 9 Monday morning (7:30 Mountain, 9:30 Eastern); I’ll be watching from the studio, but you can watch on-line if you’re not in Colorado. Here’s the link:  http://www.9news.com/video/9newsonline.aspx 

We got underway from the mall and headed for Fort Collins, about an hour north of Denver. Bob and Donna Visocky were going to meet us for dinner there. We share a lot in common with the Visockys. They lost their 21-year old daughter Kristi in 2003. Donna created a foundation in Christi’s memory and has a beautiful publication, BellaSpark Magazine, “...dedicated to bringing many of the world’s top spiritual and motivational speakers and authors to northern Colorado.  Helping people explore the stories, share them, and in the process, open our hearts and our minds to the messages of hope, love, wisdom, and inspiration.” As Donna puts it, “We are all lightworkers and we all have a story to tell.” Donna had heard about Suzanne and offered to sponsor our visit to Fort Collins. In fact, the latest issue of Bella Spark has a great article on Suzanne and Messages of Hope and her S.O.A.R! Workshop. See www.BellaSparkmagazine.com for more information.  

We went to dinner at Bob and Donna’s favorite restaurant in Old Town Fort Collins, Jay’s Bistro. We met Jay, the owner, who is an avid cyclist as well as a successful restaurateur. The food was a-mazing! I almost hesitate to tease your taste buds with a description of our meal, but you can handle it, right? For starters, we had Baked Brie in phyllo with raspberry jam and port wine syrup, and Calamari with marinara and lemon aioli drizzle. Entrees were Chilean Sea Bass with pine nuts and basil crust (Suzanne), Salmon on Mushroom Quinoa Risotto (Donna), Shrimp and Grits (Bob), and Boulliabaisse (Ty). Jay has an excellent chef, and Jenna attended to our every need with a delightful smile. If you ever get within 200 miles of Fort Collins, you should put Jay’s Bistro on your list of must-do’s! After dinner, Bob and Donna took us on a walking tour of Old Town Fort Collins. In a dark alley (literally), we met Kurt, a very friendly and handsome stretch limo driver, who graciously gave us a tour of his limo. He was chauffeuring a group of young women on a bachelorette party... (How do you get a dream job like that, Kurt? The imagination runs wild...)

We passed a Japanese restaurant that had this samurai outfit on display. When I was the commanding officer of the US naval base in Sasebo, Japan, I wore a similar outfit, complete with makeup and sword, in a Japanese parade. I walked right up to my daughters, who were watching the parade but thought I would be in a US Navy uniform; they did not recognize me until I spoke to them. It was great fun.  

As some of you know if you read this post a couple of weeks ago, I enjoy classical music. We passed a club in Old Town that was serving up some “classic” heavy metal with a “grunge look” band on stage. I couldn’t resist giving you a visual glimpse of what those of us over 30 are missing. I would add a sound clip, but I’m not sure it would get past the censors. As I walked in, in khaki slacks, polo shirt, Docksiders, and Navy haircut, the cover charge collector took one look at me and said to Suzanne, “Don’t worry about the cover charge; he won’t last long without ear plugs.”  But really, I thought I might try the nine-inch-high Mohawk look that their singer is sporting... I would certainly get noticed in The Villages!